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Files Kai Cornwall, British Mustard, London WARDROBE FILES i 1 2 3

 h Writer KAI CORNWALL Lily Rimmer

Stylist and musician KAI CORNWALL Why have you chosen to collect What opportunities has your 4 5 refers to the creative group he is the brands that you do? collecting given you? a member of as “British Mustard”. I collect items that I’m naturally drawn Collecting items has given me the Their goal? Make rare to and inspired by. These items are opportunity to style on projects that I accessible. Glass Man delves often created by my favourite designers wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. deeper into the wardrobe and mind Roberto Cavalli, Because of British Mustard, people of Cornwall to understand his drive, and Jean Paul Gaultier. I admire them are interested in my work and are his influences and the launch of his for their ability to vocalise their own intrigued by my unique approach. own collection this year. worlds and visions through clothing. Their pieces are instantly recognisable. In your opinion, what does our love How did you begin your collection? affair with archival fashion pieces I began collecting clothes because Where do you source your pieces? mean for the fashion industry at large? I love the history behind them. I love I have no particular sourcing method, Rare is better than popular – archive collecting items that are older than but I tend to scour the internet using pieces exist within this hype. In a world me because it feels like I am wearing websites such as eBay and Depop where people are trying to mould their a piece of history. until I find a gem. Charity shops own identity with a small budget, archive are where I find inimitable pieces pieces offer a more affordable solution 6 Can you tell us more about British of serious fashion merit. to finding items none of your friends 7 8 Mustard and its purpose? own. Ultimately, modern fashion does British Mustard is a collective of creatives When did you first customise a piece? not hold the same collectable quality focusing on different areas across music I can’t recall when I first customised a that iconic collections of the past do. and fashion. We, as a team, create a wide piece but for as long as I can remember range of art together. We also offer cloth- I have embellished items with badges, What have been the high points ing loans in order to share our unique chains and other things I can get my of your collecting? vintage items with other like-minded hands on. Repurposing is a part of When I find something really rare and people. Providing access for every-one making clothing personal, and custom- beautiful the euphoria is unmatched. to wear designer pieces they may not ising features within that process Additionally, being able to share my be able to afford is central to our ethos. for me. finds with others is equally rewarding.

How would you describe your style? Which items tend to become your Finally, I understand you are laun- It’s hard to pinpoint my aesthetic as I most treasured and why? ching your own clothing collection tend to in a way that feels natural My favourite pieces are the things that this year, what can we expect? to me. Saying that, I like textures and are versatile and timeless yet simul- Expect clothing that is elegant, rich colours that wouldn’t necessarily go taneously comfortable. The Jean Paul in prints and patterns, and made with together. In the past, I have been told Gaultier cheetah and my Roberto beautiful fabrics. The clothing has 1 Gucci monogram custom . The material was sourced from a haberdashery store in Plumstead, I then used eBay to source and to tailor that my work has a similar aesthetic Cavalli trousers, for example, can be a strong narrative and a meaningful make these trousers 2 Gucci NY bucket (sourced from eBay) 3 Gucci custom baker hat. Again, I sourced the material from a haberdashery store to Judy Blame and Dapper Dan, so I worn and styled in a lot of ways so have message – one that I hope resonates in Plumstead and the peak from eBay to create this baker hat 4 Indiana Pelisses vintage fur . Sourced from a deep dive through eBay 5 Jean suppose it’s like a mash up of the two. become treasured in my wardrobe. with the industry at large. Paul Gaultier cheetah top with angora trim and mesh details from AW97 (sourced from Depop) 6 Jean Paul Gaultier red and black sheer top from AW97. I sometimes wear this beneath the cheetah top for the ultimate JPG moment (sourced from Depop) 7 Roberto Cavalli tiger print trousers from AW00, which celebrated animal print. Aaliyah is credited as bringing attention to this collection after wearing many of the pieces (sourced from eBay) 8 Vintage crochet 50 ‘70s top found in a charity shop Etienne Bolduc, My Clothing Archive, Canada Wardrobe Files 1 2 3 ETIENNE BOLDUC

With an inimitable intent to fill in the nected in some way. From an account while simultaneously incorporating many unfortunate gaps in menswear of the show day to media coverage to a them into my aesthetic. fashion history, ETIENNE BOLDUC quote that explains the broader histor- began My Clothing Archive in the hope ical, social and artistic context. While How does seeing, touching to set a new precedent within the most of my knowledge comes from and wearing a piece alter your community for documenting archival research, a lot comes from stumbling understanding of it? fashion. A trailblazer of kinds, Bolduc across something. The community is It helps me understand the importance 4 5 has already been accredited to important in this regard because things of space between the body and the sharing unseen before footage – can appear in the most unexpected piece, of the interaction between the for instance Jean-Michel Basquiat’s places. Then, it is just a matter of finding light and the shade, and the exquisite runway appearances – and revealing a good narrative to convey it. details in construction. crucial facts even the designers themselves may have forgotten. How do you describe your aesthetic? What opportunities has your Vintage fashion is his flavour, modern I would describe my aesthetic as one collecting given you? methods are his goal. of an old man that has been tamed So far, collecting has afforded me the through experience, which results in opportunity to interact with amazing How did you begin your collection? me looking eccentric most of the time. people that I would have never met other- Five years ago, I started buying clothes wise. On a personal level, it has facilitated for fun. Then I started looking for What draws you to collect the coveted my understanding of the impact that information about them; documenting Japanese brands that you do? individuals can have on one another and them; gathering printed matter; making I think my first encounter with Yohji the information on this that is yet to be videos and sharing information across Yamamoto and Comme des Garçons properly documented. I feel I have nearly multiple platforms. Each step was was an experience of identity. In them, I completed a complex puzzle with the 6 7 8 motivated by a frustration about the am myself. An ideological shift in mater- recent developments in my collection. lack of comprehensive material. ialism is transpiring, whereby people My years of research are finally getting are looking for the real thing. It is a great somewhere. There have been many high Can you tell our readers more about feeling to know that when you wear points of my collecting but hearing that My Clothing Archive and its purpose? these brands you are also wearing his- my work is an inspiration is the one My Clothing Archive is my clothing tory, you feel part of something greater. achievement I am proudest of. archive – quite literally. It is my attempt at showcasing the complex web of How do you source your archive In your opinion, what does our love connections between objects and clothing pieces? affair with archival fashion mean for people. The purpose is not only to share I mostly source my pieces from Japanese the fashion industry at large? information, but also to set higher websites and auctions – very thrilling. We are starting to see the fashion indus- standards in the community. I try my People often ask me how I choose but I try adapt by releasing reissues of past best to share my oddly specific findings simply buy what is practical and fun. For collections (Helmut Lang, Raf Simons, in a way that is both compelling and example, I love to wear an when I Yohji Yamamoto, etc.), which is great accessible to a broader range of people, cook, so I have a few special ones. They because it acknowledges that design is 1 Comme des Garçons Homme Plus psychedelic velour hat from AW01/02 Looking At A Different World. I bought this because of its uniqueness in CDGP’s not only to fellow collectors. were not expensive; they are just rare. not linear. I still think that there is a place history – it shatters the idea that they only produce dark and mysterious items. I have made a 3D- of it and an AR-effect on Instagram that allows you for both new and old designs, however. to wear it 2 Comme des Garçons Homme Plus cycling from SS05 Pink Panther. I once had all the jerseys from this collection, but this is the only How do you source and organise Which items tend to become your A better understanding of the past may one I have left 3 Issey Miyake spilled-dye set from SS94. This is easily one of my most eccentric outfits and one of the first Issey Miyake pieces I bought. I all of the historical material when most treasured and why? push new designers to higher grounds. wear it every birthday 4 Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme jacket from AW91/92 6.1 The Men. This comes from one of the most recognised menswear piecing together a storyline for The items that tend to become my Favourite examples include Paolina collections in fashion history. Presented as the Gulf War began, famous musicians modelled for the show and sang anti-war songs for the finale 5 Yohji your YouTube channel? most treasured are usually those with Russo, Pierre-Louis Auvray and Mowa- Yamamoto Pour Homme psychedelic from SS02 featuring Saeko Tsuemura illustrations. I bought this piece years ago for almost nothing and now it is When approaching a certain subject, I a compelling history. I feel a certain lola for their idiosyncratic and modern a piece I am most known for 6 Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme crocodile from SS93. This is from one of the first YY collections that I documented lay out the information that I deem con- responsibility in commemorating them execution inspired by works of the past. 7 Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme and Ground Y Rin the Phantom Dog plush from SS18. An unusual design by Yohji but understandable once you are aware of his love for his dog Rin 8 Yohji Yamamoto Pour Homme , patchwork tie and from AW95/96. This hat is what truly started my identity as The Digital Cowboy. The collection was an expression of the urban cowboy, so it is only fitting that I would own it 53 Wardrobe Files Johnny Valencia, Pechuga Vintage, LA JOHNNY VALENCIA 1 2 3

Self-diagnosed as addicted to Why have you chosen to collect the Collecting has allowed me to realise vintage fashion, JOHNNY VALENCIA brands that you do? my entrepreneurial dreams. I’ve acknowledges his extraordinary I love the intelligent designs of Vivienne met wonderful people and I’ve been shopping habits. Nevertheless, Westwood; the sexy and chaotic, yet so a part of so many amazing projects what may be a hindrance to others perfectly considered, designs of Jean that would’ve been impossible with- has become a business model for Paul Gaultier; by Karl Lagerfeld out Pechuga. Valencia – Pechuga Vintage. Resear- because the man was a marketing ching with a ferocious passion, genius and because of In your opinion, what does our love 4 5 buying with impressive speed and his mind. John Galliano is always a fun affair with archival fashion pieces sharing his finds with intelligent discovery and Alexander McQueen’s mean for the fashion industry at large? care, Valencia brings fashion joy pieces give me goosebumps when I I think it means that we’ve become not only to his loyal followers but touch them. more intelligent, sustainable to his many A-list clients as well. consumers. I’d like to think that I’m How do you source your archive contributing to a positive change How did you begin your collection? pieces? by doing my part in reviving these I started thrifting in high school and then I usually get what I can only describe as pieces. If not, then at least initiating seriously collecting during my last year cravings that turn into binges. I’ll obsess a conversation. of college in 2010. I had just finished a over certain pieces, reach out to relevant year abroad in , where I collected contacts and start purchasing until my How have your purchasing habits whatever I could find – from ‘60s mink binge is satiated. I also like to check changed as your collection has to 80’s Escada . My first in with sellers to see if they’d be willing grown? “big” purchase, however, was a Comme to sell what they’ve been holding onto. They haven’t. My taste and obsessions des Garçons Homme Plus . While I may not remember a name, but I’ll vary from week to week depending on working at Vivienne Westwood post- know who has that Chanel prototype mood, but my purchasing habits are for graduation, clients began praising my from the 2000s sitting on their the most part unchanged. If I can’t stop 6 7 8 side-hustle and in 2018, I registered as closet shelf. thinking about a piece, then I will not a small business owner in Los Angeles. sleep until I have it. Which items tend to become your Can you tell us more about Pechuga most treasured and why? What advice would you give to Vintage and its purpose? Anything Vivienne Westwood; pieces someone starting their archival “Pechuga” means breast in Spanish, that were made the year I was born; fashion collection? which shares no correlation to fashion is the piece archived at a museum? Don’t be afraid to get dirty. I found – the name is not to be taken seriously. If it is, I’ll treasure it simply because an Issey Miyake plantation shirt at a My goal with Pechuga is to showcase it’s unattainable. garage sale and ‘60s frames on my cool finds, and the purpose is to reach a sidewalk. Secondly, give imperfect those who want to understand fashion How does seeing and touching pieces a chance. And thirdly, the more history and look sexy while doing so. a piece up close alter your under- you study the designers that interest standing of it? you, the better you’ll become at How would you describe your style? It makes me appreciate the craftwork sourcing. It’s hard to look for pieces My style is athletic pirate. To explain behind it. Sometimes I’ll lay out pieces when you don’t know what you’re – my go-to is a track short, a Vivienne just to see what the designer was thin- looking at. 1 Jean Paul Gaultier Venus de Milo print from SS96. The appearance of Venus’ torso printed on the front and the back makes it a must-have 2 Jean Westwood , and whatever king or how their team assembled it and Paul Gaultier men’s cyberdot , trompe l’oeil shirt from SS96. The best way to break gender barriers, make men wear women’s (or at least give accessory I have available – a Valentino why. I’ve learnt so much about quality, What have been the high points of us the fantasy) 3 Chanel Barbie jacket from SS95. Last worn by Helena Christensen – the supermodel Barbie from Norway 4 Chanel nipplekini from ring or a skeleton . My fashion stitching, and professional textile care. your collecting? SS96. Probably the most expensive piece of cloth I’ve ever purchased for the business. I’ve had two, I sold the first one and I vowed that if I ever found it again, icons are Monsieur André Leon Talley, Managing a business driven by passion I would pay any price 5 Chanel from AW01. Tickets to the gun show. What makes this piece rarer is the double C pendant dangling from the guns (it Dame Vivienne Westwood, Thalía, Jean What opportunities has your and accidentally starting a trend with adds a couple of thousand dollars more to the value) and that, my friend, is the power of branding 6 Vivienne Westwood Portrait from AW90/91. Paul Gaultier and . collecting given you? my Vivienne Westwood corset collection. The corset that will go down in history. The definitive piece in my collection and the one that still makes me weep 7 Alexander McQueen by Sarah Burton helmet (weighing eight pounds) from SS14. There were 40 of these made and I was able to source two, one in gold and one silver. Only the gold one was kept; it now sits on top of the bust that it came in 8 Dior by John Galliano Rasta trench from 2004. As the monogram trend ebbs and flows there is only one 54 certainty, Galliano’s Rasta colourway for Dior is here to stay  Photographer Josef Jasso